Friction shock-absorbing mechanism



May 29, 1923. 1,456,999

J. F. OCONNOR FRICTION SHOCK ABSORBING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 8. 1921 2 Sheets-Shea?I l May 29, 1923. 1,456,999

J. F. O'COIJNOR FRICTIQN SHOCK ASORBING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 8. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fig@ f4 Figa Z J4 @MQ-QW Vis a full, clear,

y 11-11 indicate draft Patented May 29, 1923.

UNITED STATES JOHN F. ocoNNon, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIGNoR rro WILLIAM cHAzY, NEW YORK.l

PATENT FF E C n. MINER, or

FRICTION SHOCK-ABSORBING MECHANISM.

Application iled September To all whom t may concern Be it lmown that I, JOHN F. OCONNR, a citizenv of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have. invented a certain new and 'useful Im rovement in, Friction Shock-Absorbing echanisms, of which the following concise, and exact Vdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification. l

This invention relates to improvements in friction shockf absorbing mechanisms,

Olne of the objects of the invention is to provide a simple and efcient draft rigging.

Another object is to provide a draft rig ging in which the friction elements and the. associated spring elements. travel with different rates of speed, with the beneficial results hereinafter described. f l

Other objects will vappear from the ex planation of an embodiment of my invention, hereinafter following. v

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure l is -a horizontal view, partly in plan of a draft riggingv for railroad cars embodying my invention.l Figure 2. is a cross-,section taken on line 2 42 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the draft gear shell, with itsk contained parts shown in their'positions when under full compression, the view shown in Figure l illustrating their normal position. Figure 4 is a cross-section taken on line 4 4 of Figure 1. Figure 5 is a sectional vievw taken on line 5 5 of Figure 4. Figure v6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-'-6 ofFigure 4. Figure 7 is a perspective view of the spring follower. Figure 8 is a perspective view of one of the friction plates. Figure 9 is a perspective View of one of the inner friction plates. Figure l0 is a perspective view of one of the wedge elements.

Referring tothe drawings, the numerals members, or parts of the ,car frame to which the draft rigging is applied. The. rear stop members are indicated by the numerals 12-.12 and the front stops are shown at 12B-13. The draw-bar 14 is transversely slotted to receive the coupler key 15, whichextends at its ends thru the slots 113 in members 13 and the elongated slots 16 registering therewith and formed in the adjacent parts ofthev draft members ll.- The Coupler key 15 also ex- .the perforation 44 in .29 and is provided with 8, 1921. Serial No. 499,208.

tends thru the slots 17 inthe head 18-ofv the yoke 19,. The yoke surrounds the front follower 20 and the compression-resisting,member 21, all ofwhich are held inl theirposition between the draft members 11 by means of the. tie plate carrier 22, whichis suitablyJ secured to the draft members 11, as for instance, by the bolts 23. The compression resisting member comprises th'eshell 24 Aand lthe contained spring elements 25 and the friction elements 26.- The particular spring elements shown in the drawing are made up of the two. pairs ofy inner-nested springs 27527 which are rearwardly seated against the internal face of the rear closure plate 28` of the shell and are forwardly seated against the spring follower 29. Thefriction `elements are made up of friction plates and a wedging4 or spreadingv device therefor, the friction plates comprising the longitudinally movable pla'tes whichgare stationary longitudinallybut v'are g capable, together with the movable plates 30, of a lateral movement ,as occurs when under spreading pressure of the wedging members. I The saidplates 31, which for convenience we call the stationaryplates, are ,provided with upper and lowerushoulders 32 `and 33, respectively, adapted toengage within the upper and lower transverse slots 34and 35, respectively, formed in the shell andare thereby held against longitudinal movement while permitted to move laterally inthe said slots. Rearwardly thesaid plates are each provided with a slot 36. for the entrance fof theI forwardly extended flange with which the spring follower 29'is provided. The movable plates l30 `are ordinary flat plates which eXtend rearwardly and engage 1 against thespringfollowenr K v The inner plates 31-31 are each provided,

30-30 andthe plates 31..

foo

on the face adj acent the wedgingmecha-n-ism, y

with a wedging face 40 which cooperates with elements of the wedging mechanismv hereinafter described. The wedging mechanism includes the central wedge member 41, perforated as at 42 for the passage ofthe bolt 43 which, at its rear end, passes thru the spring` follower'. la head 45,- which is received within the Vhollow box-like portion 46 of the spring follower 29.- The wedge member 41 extends between a pair of supplementary Wedge members -.7-47.'Ieach 'of which is substantially triangular .in horizontal section, as is most clearly shown in Figure 10 and each is provided on its inner edge with a groove 48 for the passage of the bolt 43. VIVThe supplementary wedgev members each engage the adjacent wedge face 40 provided upon `each of theinternal stationary friction plates hereinbefore described. The supplementarywedge members 47, together with the central wedge member 41, are'held against accidental displacement by the bolt 43 and by the forwardly extended vertically spaced apart wings or flanges 4944-49,*with which the spring follower is provided.

From the foregoing description in connection with the drawings it will be clear that upon rearward movement of the draw-bar the front follower i() will force the central wedge member 40 rearwardly, which action will tend to vspread vthe supplementary wedge -members, which will move outwardly upon the front face 50 of the spring follower and that the spring follower, in its retreat against the pressure of the springs behind it, will permit this lateral movement, and meanwhile the supplementary wedge members will press laterally outwardly against the faces 40 upon the adjacent stationary friction plates, forcing them and the series of plates between them and the outer edges of the shell into close friction-,developing and movement-resisting contact. It will be apparent that as the spring follower retreats, by reason'of the lateral, as well as the rearward movement of the supplemental wedge members, it will not retreat as rapidly as the central wedging member 41 or as rapidly as the .follower which engages it moves inwardly'.

In normal position of the parts, the front follower Q() is spaced away, as indicated at 51, from the front ends of the longitudinally movable friction plates 30, and when in its rearward travel the said follower engages the front ends of the said friction plates,'the spring follower 29 will have moved rearwardly a lesser distance than the front follower 2() and assumed a spaced relation with reference to the inner ends of the movable plates. Upon the engagement of the front follower against the longitudinally movable friction plates the same will slide rearwa'rdly, generating friction against the sides Of the intercalated stationary plates. 1While the movable friction plates are being moved rearwardly b-y the front follower, the spring follower will also move rearwardly but a lesser distance than the front follower and the movable plates and the distancebetween the inner ends of the movable friction plates will gradually decrease until the spring follower again touches the rear ends of the movable plates as illustrated in 3. "When the parts reach this position, the

spring elements 25 in back of the spring follower 29 will be compressed more rapidly than theretofore, because the spring foll lower will move at the same rate as, and in unison with, the front follower, wedging elements and movable friction plates. It will thus be seen that by reason of the action and arrangement of the wedging member the spring elements will move relatively slowly during the initial movement of the follower until the intercalated plates have been tightly compressed and relatively fast toward the end of the followers movement. Upon release of the'pressure of the drawbar the parts under the pressure of the spring elements will return to their normalposition, as it is shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. On forward movement of the drawbar the front follower ,is held against `forward movement by the front stop members and by means of the yoke, the drawbarpulls the shell forwardly, the wedge resting against the fro-nt follower and the action of the parts within the shell being similar to that occurring upon rearward movement of the drawbar, as will be understood.

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out the invention, but the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate allYAY i changes and modifications that come Vwithin the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a Afriction shock absorbing mechan nism, in combination, a shell; spring elements; friction plates; wedging elements; and a spring follower, said spring' elements, friction plates, wedge elements and spring follower being located within the shell, the spring follower being provided with spaced apart forwardly extended wings to receive the wedge elements, the wedge elementscomprising a central wedge member and lateral supplemental wedge members, the friction plates vcomprising intercalated longitudinally movable land longitudinally immovable plates, one Vof the latter plates ibeing adjacent each of the supplementary wedge members and having an angu` lar wedging face engaging a supplementary wedge member, the supplementary vwedge members moving laterally away fromI each other upon the spring follower on 'inward movement of the central wedge member and moving rearwardly `with said follower, the said follower being yieldingly held by 'the spring elements. Y

'2. In a 'friction shock absorbing 'mecha nism. in combination with a front follower; of a column-'load sustaining shell; a spring resistance 3 ay spring 'follower 'co-acting with said springresistance; opposite groups A'of intercalated friction plates wit-hin the'said shell, each group 'comprising longitudinally Vn'iovable plates and longitudinally yffifrel lll() plates, all responsive to lateral pressure, the

front ends of said movable plates beingy spaced a substantial distance from said front follower and adapted to be actuated thereby,

after a predetermined movement ofthe lat-v ter; a central wedge element inter osed between said group of plates, said element being provided with a pair of inwardly converging wedge friction faces; a pair of auxiliary wedge elements interposed betweenfollower and a friction wedge face co-acting with the innermost friction plate of the adjacent group of plates, said innermost friction plate being one of said longitudinally fixed-plates, the oppositelydisposed innermost fixed platesof said groups of plates being provided with inwardly diverging wedge friction faces co-acting with the adj acent wedge friction faces vof said auxiliary wedge elements, and fiat friction faces coacting with the adjacent movable plates, said auxiliary wedge elements having sliding movement upon the spring follower'and longitudinal movement therewith, whereby all the lighter initial. shocks are absorbed by said wedge friction elements and a wedgin i pressure is transmitted to said friction plates.

3. In a friction shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with a shell; of a front follower; a plurality of laterally dis-l placeable friction elements held against longitudinal movement relative to thevshell; movable friction plates intercalated with the stationary elements, said movable plates having their front ends spaced from the follower, and adapted ltovbe actuated by the latter after a predetermined movementl thereof; a pressure creating friction wedge system co-acting with said intercalated plates and elements, said wedge system comprising a central wedge member and a pair of auxiliary wedge members, all of saidwedge members being provided with co-acting wedge friction faces, and each of said auxiliary wedge elements being provided with an additional friction wedge face adapted to co-act with one of said friction elements; a spring resistance within the shell; and a spring follower interposed between said wedge system and said spring resistance. v

4. In a friction shock absorbing mechanism; the ycombination with a shell; of a front follower; oppositely disposed groups of intercalated relatively. stationary and movable friction plates within saidv shell,.

said movable plates having their forward ends spaced a substantial distance from said front follower; a combined friction and pressure creating means interposed between stationary and said oppositely disposedgroups'of plates,` i

said means comprising a centrally disposed friction wedge member, sliding-auxiliary friction wedge members arranged on opposite sides-of ysaid central vwedge member, having wedge friction lfaces co-acting with the wedge friction faces of said centrallydisposed wedge member, and a wedge friction block interposed between each auxiliary wedge member and the. adjacent group of frictionplates,I each wedge block having a friction face co-acting with the adjacent friction plate and a wedge friction face coacting'with a'wedge friction face on one of said auxiliary wedge members, said wedge `blocks being held againstmovement longitudinally of the shell but permitted to have l lateral movement therein;l a spring resistance within the said shell; and a spring follower interposed between said members and,` saidspring resistance, said follower being` provided with a flat face upon which said auxiliary wedges rare adapted to slide laterally.

5. Ina friction shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with a friction shell ;,l v of laterally spaced groups of friction plates," i

each group comprising alternated relatively longitudinally movable plates, the movable plates having their outer the shell; a spring resistance; a spring follower interposed between said resistance vand the inner ends of said movable plates and normally engaging vthe latter when the mechanism is in'full release; an outer follower normally spaced a predetermined distance less than the full permissible move-- ment of the outer follower, from said 'outer ends of the movable plates; and-a vplurality of wedge friction elements, including elements longitudinally and laterally movable, interposed between said two followers and between the two groups of plates, operative to move the spring followerY in the .same direction as, but at a slower rate than,l the outer follower when vthe latter is actuated and thereby space said spring follower from the inner ends` of the movable plates during the approach of the outer follower to the outer ends of said movable plates, said wedge friction elements being so operative, after the outer` follower engages and actuatesthe movable plates in unison therewith', I l

to permit. the spring follower to approach the inner ends of the movable plates during.

I ends extended outwardly beyond the end of 

